Many maternity garments, especially undergarments, have been developed over the years to address various problems associated with providing appropriate clothing and support to women during pregnancy. U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,648 discloses a maternity support top with a built-in bra and with a two-inch bellyband that lifts weight off of the pelvis. This garment disadvantageously focuses only on the upper torso of a pregnant woman, does not address the hip or buttock area, and has no feature to suspend any bottom garments such as pants or shorts.
Spanx® brand maternity leg wear provides undergarment support in a full-length panty hose with a non-binding waistband with under-belly support. However, the Spanx® maternity leg wear is, as aptly named, leg wear, and thus cannot act as a shaper or support for the upper body. Moreover, the Spanx® maternity leg wear cannot be worn over other garments, cannot provide any suspension of other garments, and is thus disadvantageous when compared to the presently described device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,286 discloses a back and abdominal support worn over the brassiere and under the panties, and with a supportive band under the tummy. Disadvantageously, this garment does not smooth and support the hip and buttock areas, but only acts as a supportive piece, not a shaping or smoothing piece.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,755 discloses a knit fabric band that is worn over pants that are too tight or too loose, holding them in place. The band is worn as a single layer over the tummy as it grows. The band, however, is also disadvantageous relative to the present disclosure because it does not address the torso or the back and does not act as a support function. Additionally, the band does not provide a shaping function and does not improve the woman's silhouette.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,817,034 to Smilovic discloses a full body slip that shapes and supports the torso, smoothes the thighs, buttocks, and waist, and, although the tummy panel is only supported by a narrow strip, reportedly functions as a support for the belly. Because it is a slip, however, the Smilovic garment is disadvantageously limited to being worn underneath clothing rather than on the outside. The design disadvantageously prevents the wearer from wearing pants, because the full body slip is shaped in a tubular fashion, necessarily extending and reaching far down the leg. Further, the garment does not provide any suspension of outer garments, such that it does not provide much flexibility relative to outer garments, e.g., it does not allow the woman to wear too loose or too tight clothing.
Glamourmom® brand tank tops have a built-in bra and a longer overall length than an average tank top, wherein the tops are meant to be used as a transition nursing bra tank. The tanks are disadvantageously limited in that they do not provide any tummy support and do not shape or smooth the body.
Thus, each traditional maternity support and under garment disadvantageously targets only a specific area of the body and solves only a limited few problem areas. Therefore, a need exists for an all-in-one garment that addresses several areas, including the smoothing of a woman's profile, the improvement of her level of comfort, the provision of her needed support, and the compliment of her desired aesthetics.